The turkey is now cleaned and drained but I need to know how to go about cooking it.  It obviously needs to be basted a lot, with what I don't know.  I just need to know how to roast a wild turkey.  Like what are the differences between a domestic turkey and a wild one?  How do I roast it, nothing special just to roast it because I know how to cook a store bought one but not a wild one.

smoke it with hickory or mesquite chips for 2 hours, then bake

Deepfry that bird!!!  Its the only way!

Quoted: Deepfry that bird!!!  Its the only way!

good call, forgot about that

Well, like I know how to cook a store bought one but I know a wild one has to be different than a domestic one.  What do I baste it with, how much etc.

Wild turkeys are not going to have the meat on them like a domestic one.  We usually only keep the breast meat.  Cut the breast meat into thin chunks and chicken-fry it. Serve with cream gravy--yum yum.

Pin strips of bacon with toothpicks all over the wild bird and it'll be self-basting. Wild birds have little white meat and are ultra lean. It's very easy to cook a wild turkey and have it come out completely unpalatable.

I've had wild turkey prepared just about every way possible, except for frying.

Smoking the wild bird is by far the best way to have it.

Personally, I'll take a Butterball over a wild bird any day, but the experience of a wild bird has to be tried. Besides, you gotta eat what you kill if at all possible.

oh snap...you got my brain thinking about a fine smoked wild bird..

tell the story of how you got it....roadkill?

Garbage Can Turkey


You need...
aluminum foil
15 inch wooden stake
1 (12 pound) whole turkey, neck and giblets removed
new 15 gallon metal garbage can with lid



DIRECTIONS:
Lay about 3 long sheets of heavy duty aluminum foil out on the grass to make a square about 3x3 feet. Pound the wooden stake into the ground in the center of the aluminum foil.
Fill the lid of the garbage can with a large pile of charcoal, and light. Place the whole turkey (thawed of course) onto the stake, legs down. Turn the garbage can upside down, and place over the turkey. Place piles of lighted coals on the top, and around the sides of the can.
Cook for at least 1 1/2 hours, or keep going until coals go out. Do not lift can during cooking. Brush the charcoal off of the can, and lift off carefully as some heat may rush out when you lift the can. The internal temperature of the turkey should be at least 180 degrees F (83 degrees C) when taken in the thickest part of the thigh.

The most moist damn turkey I have ever had the pleasure of eating. Cooks really fast, and tastes really good! Did this in a VT state park once and I swear 300 people come over to check it out, they were amazed.

Quoted: Wild turkeys are not going to have the meat on them like a domestic one.  We usually only keep the breast meat.  Cut the breast meat into thin chunks and chicken-fry it. Serve with cream gravy--yum yum.

Yep... or even better is to skin out the bird and grill the breast meat over a wood fire... I've still have not filled my fall turkey tag and this thread is making me HUNGRY...

Don't expect much, it spent all day walking around looking for food, the tame one spent the whole day in a little cage eating  until it lost its head. You never go to the butcher and ask for something that's been running around the farm for 7 years.